Why the royals need a Canadian vacation

The Queen is currently at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish highlands for her annual summer holiday. Balmoral has been a royal holiday home since the reign of Queen Victoria, when the monarchy rediscovered Scotland.

Annual holidays at Balmoral have created an enduring link between the royal family and Scotland in the popular imagination, from the publication of Queen Victoria’s Highland Journals to Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Elizabeth II at the time of Princess Diana’s death in The Queen.

In the past, there have been numerous members of the royal family who have chosen Canada as a holiday destination, embracing and becoming a part of Canadian culture. Current members of the royal family, such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, should consider reviving this practice, as it would allow them to enjoy Canada during their holidays, meet Canadians in informal settings and reinforce the popular perception of a distinct Canadian Crown.

The first recorded instance of a member of the royal family enjoying a holiday in Canada was Queen Victoria’s Uncle, the future King William IV. Following months in Newfoundland as Commander of a 28-gun frigate, HMS Pegasus, the 21-year-old Prince took shore leave in Halifax in 1788. William thoroughly enjoyed his stay, describing Halifax as "a very gay and lively place full of women and those of the most obliging kind." The Prince later received a reprimand for sailing back to Halifax without permission while serving in the West Indies.

For royalty who resided in Canada for years at a time as military commanders or Governors General, Canadian holidays were part of their annual routine. Queen Victoria’s father, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and Strathearn, spent much of the 1790s undertaking military duties and tours in Canada, becoming Commander in Chief of the British North American Forces in 1799. During his time in Canada, Edward leased a summer villa near the crest of the Montmorency Falls, a convenient hour’s carriage ride from Quebec City.

Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise, and son-in-law Ian Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, also enjoyed vacations in Quebec during Lorne’s tenure as Governor General from 1878 to 1883. Louise was not only the first Princess to visit Canada, but the first member of the royal family to go on a Canadian camping trip. Instead of renting a villa like the Duke of Kent, Louise, Lorne and their household pitched tents by the Cascapedia River on the Gaspe Peninsula.

From their campsite, the royal party would canoe upstream to go salmon fishing. Both Louise and Lorne also enjoyed painting and sketching and were inspired by the natural beauty of the Gaspe. The royal couple’s enthusiasm for fishing from canoes on the Cascapedia River contributed to their popularity as "Canadian" members of the royal family and increased tourism to the region.

During the 20th century, the future King Edward VIII proved that it was not necessary for a member of the royal family to live in Canada throughout the year to enjoy a Canadian holiday. In 1919, Edward purchased a 41-hectare ranch near Pekisko Creek in the foothills of Alberta during his first tour of Canada. King George V was skeptical of his son’s property investment, fearing that he would face pressure from the other Dominions to acquire farms in the Australian Outback and the South African platteland.

Despite these concerns, Edward kept the ranch until 1962, making frequent visits to Canada to inspect his herd of Shorthorn cattle, Dartmoor ponies, Shropshire sheep and Clydesdale horses imported from the Duchy of Cornwall.

Edward’s time on his ranch in Alberta influenced his attitude toward the Crown’s relationship with Canada. In a letter to his mother, Queen Mary, Edward explained the monarchy must maintain close ties with Canada, including regular royal tours, because "We belong to Canada and the other dominions just as much as we do the UK."

At the same time, Edward entered Canadian culture. For example, in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel Mistress Pat, a hired hand encourages the Gardiner family to call him by his first name because "The Prince of Wales called me Josiah the whole time I worked on his ranch in Alberta. A very democratic young man."

The Duke of Kent, Princess Louise and the future Edward VIII are the most prominent examples of the numerous past members of the royal family who have enjoyed holidays in Canada. These vacations allowed royalty to engage with Canadians outside the formal framework of an official visit, reinforced the relationship between the Crown and Canada and made individual Princes and Princesses a part of Canadian culture.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge demonstrated their love of the outdoors during their 2011 Canadian tour and received camping gear from Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a part of their wedding present. William and Catherine should consider spending a holiday in Canada with their son, Prince George. The royal couple would be well received and their choice of Canada as a holiday destination would increase popular support for the Canadian monarchy.

Carolyn Harris, who earned her PhD at Queen’s, is a lecturer at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies and royal blogger at